Achieving Inclusive Recovery from Natural Hazards in Jamaica

Over the past two decades, Jamaica has experienced repeated climate-related hazards, including hurricanes, storms and droughts, resulting in significant economic losses and disruptions to livelihoods and essential services. Between 2000 and 2023, the country experienced 19 major hydrometeorological events, with cumulative economic losses exceeding JMD 136 billion. Recent disasters, including Hurricane Beryl in 2024 and Hurricane Melissa in 2025, further highlight the importance of strengthening recovery systems that support long-term resilience.

This JEP discussion highlights that while Jamaica has strengthened its disaster response capacity, recovery outcomes remain uneven. Economically vulnerable households, rural communities, informal workers, farmers and fishers, and small tourism operators are among those most at risk of being left behind due to limited savings, lack of insurance, insecure land tenure and restricted access to financing. These challenges are often compounded for women, older persons and persons with disabilities, who may face additional barriers during recovery.

JEP panellists highlighted that preparedness plays a critical role in shaping recovery outcomes. However, preparedness efforts are often constrained by limited financing, coordination challenges and gaps in data and early assessments. Strengthening risk communication, scalable social protection systems, housing readiness, livelihood protection, resilient infrastructure and rapid damage and needs assessments can significantly improve recovery outcomes following disasters.

JEP panellists provided key insights for strengthening Jamaica’s preparedness for inclusive recovery. Overall, the JEP panellists concluded that Jamaica’s central challenge is not emergency response capacity but sustaining preparedness and translating it into faster and more equitable recovery outcomes. Strengthening preparedness systems that protect livelihoods, support vulnerable households and enable rapid, well-targeted recovery will be essential to reducing inequalities and safeguarding development progress in the face of increasing climate-related hazards.

Dr. Nadine McCloud underscored the urgent need to strengthen Jamaica’s disaster risk management framework in light of increasingly frequent and severe natural hazards. She emphasized sustained investment in early warning systems, data and risk assessment, and resilient infrastructure, alongside stronger community–national coordination, to reduce vulnerability and enhance resilience. She further noted that preparedness systems must be explicitly designed to support faster and more inclusive recovery across all communities.

Dr. Stuart Davies, UN Senior Economist, noted that embedding preparedness more deliberately into recovery systems is essential to ensuring faster and more equitable recovery. Strengthening partnerships, improving data-driven decision-making and aligning preparedness and recovery planning are critical to ensuring that the most vulnerable communities are not left behind.

Reflecting on the discussion, Mr. Dennis Zulu, United Nations Resident Coordinator, emphasized the importance of embedding preparedness within broader development and recovery systems. “As climate-related disasters become more frequent and severe, strengthening preparedness for inclusive recovery is essential to protecting development gains in Jamaica. Ensuring that recovery systems are designed to reach the most vulnerable will be critical to building resilience and leaving no one behind. Through strong partnerships, data-driven decision-making, and coordinated action, Jamaica can accelerate recovery while safeguarding long-term sustainable development.”

The Jamaican Economy Panel is part of a partnership between the United Nations Resident Coordinator’s Office (UNRCO) and the Department of Economics at the University of the West Indies (UWI) Mona. The JEP brings together economic, public-sector experts and development practitioners to address monthly socio-economic questions. These questions help to highlight relevant economic issues and the collective expertise of the panellists.

For more information on the Jamaican Economy Panel and for the results of this JEP discussion, visit the UN Jamaica website at www.jamaica.un.org.

For further information, please contact:

United Nations: 

Dr. Stuart Davies, Senior Economist. Email: stuart.davies@un.org

Ms. Soyeon Chae, Gender and Climate Economics Assistant. Email: soyeon.chae@un.org 

Department of Economics, University of the West Indies: 

Dr. Nadine McCloud, Senior Lecturer. Email:nadine.mccloud02@uwimona.edu.jm